Locking closure for flexible tank outlets



L. S. JANCZAK 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IN VEN TOR. 1 J. MIA (24K BY a:

ATTORNEY LOCKiNG CLOSURE FOR FLEXIBLE TANK OUTLETS Nov. 6, 1951 Filed Oct. 30, l948 Nov. 6, 1951 s. JANCZAK LOCKING CLOSURE FOR FLEXIBLE TANK OUTLETS 2 SEEMS-"SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 30, 1948 Mm.v 1% P r bm s \N \l\ i. I Q mg Q 3 02 N W M x X Patented Nov. 6, 1951 LOCKING CLOSURE FOR FLEXIBLE TANK OUTLETS Lou S. Janczak, South Bend, Ind., assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 30, 1948, Serial No. 57,449

4 Claims. (01. 222-507) This invention relates to a closure for a flexible outlet, and particularly to the means for clamping the closure thereon and to a means for forming a pouring spout when the closure is removed.

The closure embodying this invention is particularly suitable for use on collapsible tanks for liquids, the walls of which being made of rubber coated fabric and have a filling and draining opening therein, to the margin of which is secured an outwardly projecting flexible rubber outlet. Such tanks are designed to withstand the relatively great impact pressure of the liquid therein when they are dropped from a height of 20 feet.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a closure cap for the flexible outlet which will maintain a fluid type seal for the outlet under the high pressures developed on it by the liquid within the tank.

A further object of this invention is to provide a closure for the outlet which may be quickly applied and removed manually and without the use of tools.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a convenient pouring outlet, or spout for the relatively short tank outlet after the closure therefor has been removed.

This invention and its foregoing objects and other advantages are further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a collapsible tank having a closure embodying this invention placed on its outlet opening, but not clamped thereto;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the collapsible tank shown in Fig. 1, and having parts broken away to show the self contained pouring spout, which is adapted to be attached to the tank outlet when the closure is removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the closure on the tank outlet, taken on line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a half section of the closure showing parts taken in section on line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. land 2 of the drawings, this invention comprising a closure I and the pouring spout l l in combination therewith is applied to a flexible outlet I2 of a collapsible container I3, which may be made of flexible rubber coated fabric material, and adapted to hold a body of liquid it, within which the pouring spout H is suspended by a flexible connection l5 from the closure It, when it is positioned on the outlet l2. The closure I0 is preferably made of a light metal, such as aluminum.

As shown in all of the figures of the drawings, the closure I0 is placed on the outlet l2, but is not clamped thereto. Referring to the enlarged Fig. 3, the tank outlet l2 comprises a flexible deiormable vulcanized unit of rubber having a flange II; which is bonded to the flexible walls I! of the tank. The outlet I2 is provided with a flexible tubular lip l8, which extends outwardly of the tank l3 from the b2 se of the outlet. The lip I8 is adapted to be sealed by a rigid plug l9, which extends into the interior of the lip 18. The plug I9 is preferably made of metal, and is pivotally connected to an outer metal cap 20 by a rivet 2| extending through a central opening in the top plate 22 of the plug and the top of the cap 28. A washer 23 surrounds the body of the rivet, and is placed between the top plate 22 of the plug [9 and the top of the cap 28 for the purpose of spacing these members from each other. The interior and exterior flanges 24 are beaded over the margins of the openings in the cap 28 and the plate 22 to pivotally connect the parts together, and permit the cap 28 to be rotated in respect to the plug l3.

The closure plug I9 is provided with an annular groove 25, into which an annular head 26 on the outlet lip I8 is adapted to fit, after the plug has been forced into the lip and the supporting flange 21 on the plug rests on top of the lip. The closure In is adapted to be secured to the outlet l2 by clamping the outlet lip l8 against the sides of the plug by means of a radially contractible clamping band 28, which encircles the lip l8 and is supported by the top of the plug 19. As shown inFig. 4, the clamping band 28 has overlapping ends 29 and 38, which are adapted to slide over one another to permit the band to contract. The clamping band 28 is aflixed to the plug top 22 near one end 30 of the band by a bracket 3|, which may be riveted, or otherwise secured to the band and to the top plate 22 of the cap. As shown herein the bracket 3| is attached to the plate 22 by rivets 32. The clamping band 28 may be slidably supported on the top plate 22 of the plug l9 at other points by means of one or more angle brackets 33, which slidably rest upon the plug plate 22, and may be secured to the band 28 with rivets 34.

A toggle linkage 34 is provided for contracting the clamping band 28 against the lip l8 of the outlet l2. The toggle linkage 34 comprises two links 35 and 36 which are pivotally connected together at or near one of their ends by a pin 31. The other end of the link 35 is pivotally connected to the end 29 of the clamping band 28 by a pin 38 and the other end of the link 36 is pivotally connected to the band 28 near its end 38 by a pin 39, which extends through the link 38 and the attaching bracket 3| of the band 28.

A portion of the vertical side, or rim, of the outer cap 28 is cut away to provide an opening 40, through which the toggle links 35 and 36 are adapted to project. The toggle links are in full lines as they appear in their unclamped position,

and when they are moved to their clamped position, they occupy the position as shown by the dot and dash lines. such movement of the tonic linkage is produced by the rotation of the cap 2| in respect to the closure plug ll. When the plug is inserted in the interior of the lip ll, it is held with sufllcient friction to permit the cap 29 to be manually rotated in respect thereto about the pivoting rivet 2i. Upon the rotation of the cap 29, the linkage 34 is operated by cam surfaces It and 42 formed at each end of the opening 49 in the side wall of the cap. When the cap is rotated in the direction of the arrow A, the cam surface 4i rides over the curved link 35 and forces it inwardly towards the center of the cap and thereby collapses the linkage and contract; the clamping band by causing the slidable ends 29 and II to ride over each other. When the linkage 34 has been moved to its dot and dash line position, the clamping band 2| has been suiflciently contracted to tightly force the sealing bead 26 of the lip it into the groove 25 f the closure plug I9, and thereby tightly clamp the closure to the outlet i2. The link 35 is provided with an extension 43, which is curved outwardly, and

arrow A, and in so doing, the cam 42 operates upon the link extension U, and rides along the toggle link 26 to force the linkage to its unclamped position as shown by the full lines in Figs. 1 and 4.

After the closure It has been released from the lip II, it may be removed from the outlet for the purpose of either filling or emptying the tank II. In the event the tank-isto be filled, the closure is merely placed to one side, and it will be held connected to the tank by the flexible connection II, which is attached to the closure plug, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, by tying a knot 44 in the end of the cord I! after it has been extended through an eye bracket 45 on the plug if. The other end of the cord I5 is attached to the pouring spout Ii by extending the lower end of the cord throu h an opening in the outer end of the spout, and tying a knot 46 in that end of the cord I. When it is desired to pour fluid from the tank II, the cord II is used to draw the upper end of the pouring spout it through the lip ll of the tank outlet. The operator may then grasp the projecting end of the spout I l and pull the lower end into the base of the outlet. The pouring spout H is preferably made of a vulcanized rubber composition and i provided with a groove 41 positioned between a bead 43 and a flange 49. The groove 41 is adapted to receive an annular bead III on the base of the tank outlet i2, and thereby form a fluid tight seal between the spout ii and the outlet I 2. After the spout II has been pulled into its flnal position, the fluid i 4 in the tank I! may be poured therefrom into the opening of a consumer tank without spilling the fluid.

Whereas the preferred form of this invention 5 claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1. A closure for a flexible outlet comprising a closure plug adapted to be inserted within said 0 outlet, a cap pivoted on said plug and having a downwardly extending rim which encircles said outlet, a band clamp positioned between said rim and said outlet, said cap rim being rotatable in respect to said band clamp, and means onsaid 15 clamp and operated by said rim for clamping the wall of said outlet between said plug and said clamp.

2. A closure for a flexible outlet comprising a closure plug adapted to be inserted within said outlet, a cap pivoted on said plug and having a downwardly extending rim encircling said outlet, a split band encircling said outlet between said rim and said outlet and supported by said plug, anda toggle mechanism afllxed to the separated ends of said band and operated by said rim for clamping said outlet between said band and said plug.

3. A closure for a flexible outlet comprising a closure plug adapted to be inserted within said outlet, a cap pivoted on said plug and having a downwardly extending rim encircling said outlet. a split band encircling said outlet between said rim and said outlet and supported by said plug, a toggle mechanism operated by said downward- 1y extending rim and ailixed to the separated ends of said band for clamping said outlet between said band and said plug.

4. A closure for a flexible outlet comprising a closure plug adapted to be inserted in said outlet. a rotatable cap pivotally mounted on said plug and having a rim adapted to encircle said outlet. 9. ring positioned within said rim and encircling said flexible outlet, said rim being rotatable in respect to said ring, and means operated by the 45 rotation of said rim in respect to said ring for clamping said outlet between said ring and said plus.

IOU S. JANCZAK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 118,154 Rogers Aug. 15, 1871 1,320,429 Wackman et a1. Nov. 4, 1919 1,521,546 Kuskin Dec. 30, 1924 1,676,846 Watson July 10, 1928 2,123,553 Kaehler July 12, 1938 2,127,268 Palmer Aug. 16, 1938 2,144,902 Temple Jan. 24, 1939 2,322,527 Leatherman June 22, 1943 2,387,539 Spanel Oct. 23, 1945 2,395,734 Georgopoulos Feb. 26, 1948 2,459,752 Wilson et a1 Jan. 18, 1949 

